Cigarette box



April 28, 1964 INVENTOR JOSEPH L. BIDOPIA United States Patent Ofiice5,139,893 CIGARETTE BQX Joseph L. Bidopia, 4100 NW. 16th Ave, Miami,Fla. Filed Aug. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 218,760 2 Claims. (Cl. 229-20) Thisinvention relates in general to containers and more particularly to abox for containing and dispensing cigarettes.

Prior to the present invention cigarettes were usually packed in paperpackages or paper board boxes having a hinged cover. In the formerpackages cigarettes are usually removed by tearing off a portion of thetop of the package and fishing them out of the package with the fingers.In the case of the box no means is provided for loosening or raising thecigarettes for convenient removal, hence frequently a considerablenumber of cigarettes are damaged when packed in either type ofcontainer.

The present invention overcomes the above objections and disadvantagesby the provision of a box having a drawer-like retainer for normallyholding the cigarettes Within a casing and tilting therein exposing aconsiderable length of the cigarettes for easy removal whichconstruction is a principal object of the invention.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a rectangular openend casing in which a slideable retainer for holding cigarettes thereinand providing a closure for opposite ends of the casing and having acentral portion of reduced size for tilting when partially pushed fromeither end of the casing.

These and other objects and advantages in one embodiment of theinvention are described and shown in the following specification anddrawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the cigarette box.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken through section lines22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an internal element of the cigarettecontainer shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of cigarette box shown FIG. 1 in changedposition.

Referring to FIG. 1 the outer casing having open opposite ends in thisembodiment is die-cut, formed and folded from paper board of uniformthickness and having opposite sides 1--1 and 22 of equal size and ajunction 3 secured by adhesive means.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, an X-shaped retainer is die-cut and formedfrom paper board of uniform thickness and joined together at a junction4 by adhesive means. The edges of rectangular end portions 5 and 6 areadapted to yieldably slide along the inner surfaces of the casing.

Both sides of the retainer 3 converge from their respective junctionswith the end portions 5 and 6 to narrow mid-portions 7--7 formingoblique edges 8.

In operation a predetermined number of cigarettes is retained within theretainer 3 with opposite ends thereof positioned against the innersurfaces of the end portions 5 and 6. When the retainer is positionedwithin the casing 1 as shown FIG. 1 the cigarettes are protected fromdamage and the retainer is usually sealed to the casing by a breakablepaper fastener, not shown, and the entire package wrapped againstmoisture in the customary way.

In use the retainer may be conveniently partially pushed from the casingfrom either end and simultaneously tilted into position as shown in FIG.4 by virtue 3,130,8h3 Patented Apr. 28, 1964 of the X shape of bothsides of the retainer which exposes the upper end portion of a group ofcigarettes from under the end portion 5, as shown.

Thus it is apparent that one or more of the cigarettes may be removedfrom the retainer with ease by grasping the body of the cigarettewithout disturbing the remainder therein. Upon pushing the retainer andthe cigarettes therein into the casing the oblique sides will be guidedby the edge of the casing and thus centrally position the retainer, asshown in FIG. 1.

Although this embodiment describes paper board as the material formaking both the casing and the drawer it is to be understood that eitheror both of these parts can be manufactured by plastic molding processesor formed from sheet metal when a more lasting container is desired.

Certain modifications to the above construction using the featuresdescribed are intended to come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A container for cigarettes comprising an outer casing in the form ofan open rectangular tube of uniform crosssection and predetermineddimensions, a rectangular drawer means having a pair of opposite planarends con nected to a pair of opposite sides slideably positioned in saidtube with the latter in close proximity with the inner side walls ofsaid tube with the said planar ends of said drawer normally closing theopen ends of said tube for retaining a plurality of cigarettes in sideby side relation in said casing longitudinal therewith, the edges ofeach of said sides converging from the opposite junctions with saidplanar ends into a narrow central portion of predetermined width forpermitting said drawer to be tilted in each opposite lateral directionin said casing when pro jected a predetermined distance from either endthereof for the manual removal of said cigarettes from said container,and for engagement of either end edge of said casing with correspondingsaid converging edges of said drawer for self aligning the latter intosaid casing when manually moved therein.

2. A container for cigarettes comprising an outer casing formed of sheetmaterial into a tube of uniform predetermined rectangular cross sectionand predetermined length, a rectangular drawer means formed of sheetmaterial having a pair of opposite sides connected to a pair of oppositeends slidably positioned in said tube with the said ends of said drawernormally closing the open ends of said tube for retaining a plurality ofcigarettes in side by side relation in said casing, each of said sidesconverging from said opposite junctions with the said ends of saiddrawer in an X form with the predetermined narrow width there ofsubstantially centered in each of said sides for permitting the saiddrawer to be tilted in said casing when projected a predetermineddistance from either end for the manual removal of said cigarettes fromsaid container, and whereby the engagement of any oblique edge of said Xform with a corresponding edge of the said casing will centrally alignsaid drawer in said casing when said drawer is manually moved therein.

Clark Apr. 3, 1860 Du Val July 27, 1926

1. A CONTAINER FOR CIGARETTES COMPRISING AN OUTER CASING IN THE FORM OFAN OPEN RECTANGULAR TUBE OF UNIFORM CROSSSECTION AND PREDETERMINEDDIMENSIONS, A RECTANGULAR DRAWER MEANS HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE PLANARENDS CONNECTED TO A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDES SLIDEABLY POSITIONED IN SAIDTUBE WITH THE LATTER IN CLOSE PROXIMITY WITH THE INNER SIDE WALLS OFSAID TUBE WITH THE SAID PLANAR ENDS OF SAID DRAWER NORMALLY CLOSING THEOPEN ENDS OF SAID TUBE FOR RETAINING A PLURALITY OF CIGARETTES IN SIDEBY SIDE RELATION IN SAID CASING LONGITUDINAL THEREWITH, THE EDGES OFEACH OF SAID SIDES CONVERGING FROM THE OPPOSITE JUNCTIONS WITH SAIDPLANAR ENDS INTO A NARROW CENTRAL PORTION OF PREDETERMINED WIDTH FORPERMITTING SAID DRAWER TO BE TILTED IN EACH OPPOSITE LATERAL DIRECTIONIN SAID CASING WHEN PROJECTED A PREDETERMINED DISTANCE FROM EITHER ENDTHEREOF FOR THE MANUAL REMOVAL OF SAID CIGARETTES FROM SAID CONTAINER,AND FOR ENGAGEMENT OF EITHER END EDGE OF SAID CASING WITH CORRESPONDINGSAID CONVERGING EDGES OF SAID DRAWER FOR SELF ALIGNING THE LATTER INTOSAID CASING WHEN MANUALLY MOVED THEREIN.